Hearing in Dadri lynching case deferred to July 11

Hearing of the plea for an FIR against slain Mohammad Ikhlaq’s family for cow slaughter has been deferred.

Residents of Bisada held a panchayat inside a temple on June 26 to decide on the course of action. Most villagers demanded development of the village at the meeting.(HT File Photo)

Hearing of the plea of the accused for an FIR against the family of slain Mohammad Ikhlaq in the Dadri lynching case has been deferred to July 11. The counsels for the accused are seeking an FIR against Ikhlaq’s family for cow slaughter, on basis of the forensic report of the flesh that was allegedly recovered from the fridge at Ikhlaq’s residence on the night of the incident.

“Today, we requested the court to order registration of an FIR against Ikhlaq’s family as they have slaughtered a cow and stored its meat, violating the UP Cow Protection Act, 1955. The court may give issue orders in this regard in the next hearing,” Ram Sharan Nagar, a counsel for the accused, said.

On the night of September 28, a mob of locals allegedly attacked Ikhlaq and Danish, his son, at their residence over allegations of slaughtering a cow and storing its meat for consumption. Ikhlaq had succumbed to his injuries while Danish survived with a fractured skull.

“As the forensic reports confirmed that the pieces of flesh recovered from the fridge of the deceased belong to a cow, the law must take its own course. We have sought registration of an FIR against Ikhlaq’s kin as her daughter Shaista, who is also a witness in the case, confessed in her statement that the mob recovered the meat from her fridge,” Shishpal Singh, counsel for one of the accused Vivek, said.

During the argument in the court, the counsel for Ikhlaq’s family and the public prosecutor said that the forensic report is insufficient to file a case.

“The earlier report of the local government veterinarian termed it as mutton after physical examination and then the Mathura lab termed the meat as cow meat or from its progeny. How can we trust the government reports? It looks dubious,” Yusuf Saifi, the counsel for Ikhlaq’s family, said.

The mob had allegedly recovered a bowl of meat from the fridge of the deceased, forensic report of which confirmed it belonged to ‘cow or its progeny’.

Hearing on framing of charges against 18 accused, including three juveniles, is scheduled for July 25. Two of the juveniles are out on bail while one is lodged in the juvenile detention centre.